Month: December 2018

Note: I used the spelling Rachael because in the oldest version I found it was spelled that way. Most sources spell her name as Rachel. If there is an easy way to get to the Otterbein Church and Cemetery, the GPS unit did not know it. Getting off Interstate 70, we followed a maze of … Continue reading The Horseshoe Grave

We all have our favorite song (or songs) that we find ourselves singing for no apparent reason as we go about our daily routine. I know that I have a number of songs that I find myself singing, whistling, or humming depending upon the situation. One of my favorites is an old hymn that I … Continue reading Along the Way: James Black

A while back I received an email from Eric who asked: What do you know about the Vampire Graves near Bloomsburg? I've always heard that the cages placed over the graves are because they were victims of vampire attacks. Another story says the cages were to keep the vampires from coming out of their graves … Continue reading The Secret of the Hooded Graves

The collection of houses known as Stockton exists approximately two miles east of Hazleton and is one of those places one has to want to visit in order to get there. The only reason I knew I was on the correct road was due to its name: The Stockton Mountain Road. At one point a … Continue reading The Stockton Mine Disaster

On May 24, 1931 Airmail Pilot James "Jimmy" Cleveland lost his life when his plane failed to clear Mount Nittany and crashed near the top of the mountain above Centre Hall. I grew up knowing the history of the crash and though I knew there was a memorial for James Cleveland at the top of … Continue reading Hiking the James Cleveland Trail

Note: Although most modern accounts of the murder spell the victim’s name Louisa, I am using the spelling Louiza, the spelling as it appears on her tombstone and in most of the histories of the region. “Do you purposely find the roughest roads for us to travel on when you plan out our journeys?” Zech … Continue reading The Murder of Louiza Fox